Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Immersion Nation Podcast
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behind the Scenes of Immersive "South by Southwest" and a Nationwide Roll Out! | 12 May 2025 | 00:41:42 | |
Emma and special Co Host Scott, Talk about their experience working with Universal Studio and their new movie drop. They take you behind the scenes and talk about what it's like to create a custom immersive event for South By Southwest and have that get picked up for a Nationwide Event! | |||
| Sudden Closure of "Life and Trust" a New York Immersive Juggernaut. | 06 May 2025 | 00:34:37 | |
Emma and Scott do their best job at a true crime podcast as they dig deep and attempt to find out why Life and Trust closed without warning. This was recorded 4-28-25 | |||
| Season 2 - Trailer 2 | 15 May 2020 | 00:00:54 | |
| Season 2 - Trailer 1 | 15 May 2020 | 00:00:59 | |
| 2019 Immersion Awards Announcements | 15 Feb 2020 | 00:05:46 | |
The results are in! | |||
| Roundtable discussion: Immersive Entertainment and Real World Impact • Part 3 | 14 Feb 2020 | 00:51:49 | |
Welcome to the 3rd and final part of this roundtable discussion on immersive entertainment and it impacts on the real world.
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| Roundtable discussion: Immersive Entertainment and Real World Impact • Part 2 | 07 Feb 2020 | 00:29:29 | |
This is part two of the three-part roundtable discussion on the real-world impact of immersive entertainment. This, in many ways, is the perfect set of episodes to be airing now, because this is the time of year where many so many people, subcultures, and industries zoom out to look at the broader picture. Where have we come from? Where is this all going? And what in the world does this all mean anyway? Well, I can think of very few people who are more qualified to help lend some clarity to these questions for the immersive community in 2020.
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| Roundtable Discussion: Immersive Entertainment and Real World Impact • Part 1 | 31 Jan 2020 | 00:30:22 | |
This week we have not one but 4 truly phenomenal guests. This is the first part of a round table discussion on immersive entertainment and its relationship to real experiences and the real world. Caroline Murphy of 'Incantrix Productions', Jessica Creane of 'IKANTKOAN Games', Justin Fyles of 'Any One Thing', and Risa Puno of 'The Privilege of Escape' guide us in exactly the kind of thought-provoking, assumption challenging and nuanced conversation that we here at Immersion Nation think is vital for the beginning of any cultural movement.
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| Immersive in 2019 & 2020 • The Value of Play pt. 2 • The 2019 Immersion Awards | 29 Jan 2020 | 00:27:29 | |
In this episode, we talk about the 2019 immersion awards and take a look at the big picture of immersive entertainment in 2019. We revisit the concept of play with a few listeners of the podcast joining us to share their thoughts on the importance of play. Next, we discuss the potential future of immersive entertainment in 2020 and beyond. Finally, we end the show with the nominations for the 2019 immersion awards. 2019 Immersion Awards Nominations Jenny Weinbloom’s Talk at ID summit Show Notes: Episode outline: 2019, The value of play, and 2020 [1:17] | |||
| #36 Connection is the Secret Sauce with Ross Tipograph | 17 Jan 2020 | 00:31:50 | |
By now, we all know, It’s all about connection. This is the second part of my conversation with immersive experience designer, Ross Tipograph but! It is okay to jump in here. (Though of course, I would suggest you listen to both.) For context: Ross was recently named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work in experiential marketing and has worked on projects like the Amazon immersive experiences for the television shows The Expanse and Carnival Row at San Diego Comic-Con, in 2019. In his under 30 years, he’s been busy.
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| #35 Inside the Mind of an Experience Designer with Ross Tipograph | 10 Jan 2020 | 00:31:07 | |
We all have our superpowers. The set of unique experiences we have that make us uniquely suited for specific things. Often, our superpowers come from the combination of many different skills. Now, in our world, the world of immersive entertainment; theater and marketing may seem like an obvious combination. But Ross is a perfect example of the way in which these skill sets can come together to become greater than the sum of their parts. Theater and Marketing, at their core, have one essential but elusive thing in common. Connection. In the next two episodes, we talk about how the combination of these two abilities led Ross Tipograph to found 8 players, work on 4 experiences for amazon studios, work with the experiential marketing powerhouse, Giant Spoon, and to represent the experiential and immersive world on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2020 Selected Links: Ross Tipograph Forbes 30 under 30 Show Notes: Ross’ chosen Fictional world to live in [2:44] | |||
| #34 When fiction looks at you with Jeromy Barber of Dinolion | 03 Jan 2020 | 00:36:16 | |
To recap, last week we left off. Jeromy had gotten a call from a local bar/beer garden asking him to produce a Halloween season show for their upstairs space. They had a month to make this show, the rabbit cage, come together.
Dino Lion Festival of Disruption Show Notes: •A month to create a show [4:03] | |||
| Overlook Film and Immersive Festival 2025 | 16 Apr 2025 | 00:42:53 | |
Emma and Scott review the amazing work at the Overlook Film and Immersive Festival in New Orleans. | |||
| #33 Designing for Champaign Problems with Jeromy Barber of Dinolion | 26 Dec 2019 | 00:33:30 | |
In 2005, Jeromy Barber moved from New York City to a small town in Texas. If Jeromy's life was a screenplay, and I was editing? I would probably advise the writer to make it just a touch less formulaic. It is fantastic. Jeromy has trained with the comedy monolith, Second City. Founded the improv focused Beta Theater in Houston and, of course, owns and operates Dinolion, a quote “Creative video house” which rocks the tagline “Projects we love with people we love.” and does everything from video marketing to, of course, immersive experience design. My read on The Dinolion brand, as a creative expression of Jeromy’s style, is bright and brash and I think can only really be described as brilliantly refined chaos. But that’s just my read on it, go check out their reel for yourself after the show; also, fantastic. Jeromy’s way of thinking about the creation of immersive experiences is incredibly innovative. So, again for you practicing or aspiring immersive creators out there, these two episodes will hopefully likely spark the same kind of curiosity and excitement that I walked away with. And for the immersive fans, adventurers, connoisseurs? Have you ever heard of a one-person immersive experience in a plane? Selected Links: Dinolion Show Notes: Jeromy’s fictional world [3:08] | |||
| #32 Always a challenge but absolutely possible with Immersive Producer Niyia Mack | 20 Dec 2019 | 00:31:14 | |
This episode is brimming, overflowing even with tips and techniques for those who like to look behind the curtain. If you didn’t catch last week’s episode, it gives some background on our guest Niyia Mack’s experience producing and consulting on immersive experience design. This week, Niyia answers questions about creating immersive experiences when you’re not based in LA, New York, or Chicago, what she’s excited about in the changing world of immersive, and how it’s possible to make more intimate immersive productions financially viable. Whether or not you’re a creative in immersive entertainment, getting a window into the world of those who carefully craft experiences for others can be incredibly eye-opening to the end of understanding the ways in which the world around you might be changeable, designable, and resoundingly story-worthy. Enjoy Selected Links: Niyia Mack Some of Niyia Mack’s work and collaborations: Meow Wolf Denver Show Notes: Creating a space of safety [2:41] | |||
| #31 It's ALL Co-creation with Immersive Producer, Niyia Mack | 14 Dec 2019 | 00:33:32 | |
How does it all come together? How does one take a multitude of moving parts; actors, and scripts, and settings, varying degrees of audience agency and assemble them into emotionally evocative experiences? If you are the creator, the producer, the director, the writer venturing into unknown territories; the prospect of working in a medium where you are intentionally giving the audience an opportunity to exert their own philistine agency on your creation… Might sound like an undisguised nightmare. But, as it turns out, there is some methodology to this and! A select few brilliant producers with more than a little experience in the subtle art of immersive experience. Niyia Mack is an LA-based producer and consultant who has worked with Meow Wolf, Safehouse 77’, and 82’, Delusion, and CoAct Productions to name just a few. Niyia is here to share her experience creating in the immersive realm with all of you. Niyia Mack Janell Langford’s Obsidiopolis | |||
| #29 Relearning agency and rehearsal for existence with Noah Nelson of No Proscenium | 30 Nov 2019 | 00:33:00 | |
“The art of immersive isn’t about the art of engagement, it isn’t about holding people’s attention... It’s about attachment. It’s about forging a connection.” -Noah You can consume or you can create. Usually, it’s one or the other. Whether you’re considering a movie, music, or a book.. You can choose what you consume, for the most part, but you can’t alter the thing while in the midst of a storyline. Which, I believe, is part of what makes immersive so confounding. In the space of immersive entertainment, there is the option to do both. Today we have, once again, good sir Noah Nelson the creator of No Proscenium. Based in LA, for the last 5 years Noah has strived to knit together the immersive community across the country and help the world understand this change in the way that our culture consumes narrative and story. Selected Links: No Proscenium Spiderman Into The Spiderverse The Void Selfie Palace that does it right: Museum of Ice Cream Everything Immersive Facebook Group No Proscenium Podcast HERE summit Show Notes: On oculus and interface [2:05] What is immersive? What is the goal? [3:40] The art of immersive isn’t about engagement [5:27] Emotional agency [7:18] You are Shia LaBeouf [8:54] The entertainment in immersive [10:55] Relearning what matters [15:35] You can’t spend all day long questioning reality [20:38] The trough of disillusionment [22:35] Rehearsal for existence & learning agency [23:53] What isn’t immersive? [27:37] Selfie palaces [29:03] Justifying immersive [30:14] | |||
| #28 Most People Think The Medium Matters with Noah Nelson of No Proscenium | 22 Nov 2019 | 00:31:25 | |
What is immersive entertainment? Oh my word, does anybody know?? When someone asks you what you did Saturday night, what is the 2 second explanation? I went to see this movie, I went to dinner at x place, I went to this concert. These work because everyone knows what the movie, dinner, the concert experience is. The experience is the medium, the method of communication. You don’t have to work to come up with that mental image. Selected Links: No Proscenium Everything Immersive Facebook Group HERE summit Show Notes: HERE summit [2:39] | |||
| #27 Enabling empathy and cultivating connection with Siobhan O’Loughlin of Broken Bone Bathtub | 15 Nov 2019 | 00:33:11 | |
Now this is where things change. One small group of people, one small room, one unexpectedly vulnerable interaction at a time. And it’s not easy. It’s hard to just be present, let alone open up to strangers. What is Broken Bone Bathtub? Selected Links: Siobhan O’loughlin Press and reviews of Broken Bone Bathtub through the years. -*Editorial favorite from clips in above link is ‘Every Time I Try’ Show Notes: Siobahn’s fictional world: artistic renaissance [4:23] | |||
| #26 Social design and Invisible Privilege | Risa Puno of The Privilege of Escape | 08 Nov 2019 | 00:21:05 | |
We often think of people as so individual, so removed from their context. As individuals. But try as we might, we are.. the constantly shifting point that sits at the intersection of our internal identity and our external environment. And if you think about the curve of human history, this fact has been the point *pause* of thousands of years of frustration. It’s a little bit of an adversarial relationship. Most of what we categorize as necessities, clothing, shelter, access to clean water are acts of environmental design But on this episode, we’re discussing how this is changing. How shaping an external environment can enable changes in our internal environment, rather than prevent them. This is part two of a conversation with Risa Puno, creator of The Privilege of escape. An escape room, that uses environmental design to explore the concept of privilege. This portion of the conversation is by itself fantastic and illuminating and illustrative but if you find yourself wanting to know a little more about the context of the piece, you should go check out the first part of the interview, episode 23 which you can find wherever you might be listening right now. Beyond that, I hope you enjoy this window into the world of escape rooms, social dynamics, and the way our environment shapes our awareness.
Creative time The Onassis foundation Show Notes: The original room design [2:37] | |||
| #25 Soundbaths, soundscapes, and flourishing experiments with Andrew Hoepfner of House World | 01 Nov 2019 | 00:24:10 | |
The word ‘soundscape’ seems to get lobbed around haphazardly, kind of like a half deflated football picked up out of a sense of obligation around the Thanksgiving season. However, the idea of a ‘soundscape’ seems to have a bit more vigor when applied more literally to an immersive experience. Especially when the lens -or maybe more appropriately, the voicing- of an immersive experience, the original impetus, comes from a musician.
Fictional world Andrew wants to live in [2:53] | |||
| #24 Possession, Regret, and The Cutting Room Floor with Patrick Mueller of Control Group Productions | 25 Oct 2019 | 01:00:33 | |
This is a season of the surreal. Selected Links: Cutting Room Floor Control Group Productions Joseph Campbell: Art and religion (interview) Show Notes:
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| #23 The Heightened Mystery of Poe’s Passing With Aaron Salazar of Poseidon Theatre company | 18 Oct 2019 | 01:03:21 | |
On the date of this recording, 170 years ago, Edgar Allan Poe died. It is disputed exactly how Poe died, and why. But there is a theory... Selected Links: Who killed Edgar Allan Poe, The Cooping Theory 1969 Poseidon Theatre company The Turn Of The Screw Show Notes: Recorded on the 170th anniversary of Poe’s Death [3:01] What fictional world would you live in? [3:23] What is ‘Who Killed Edgar Allan Poe? The Cooping Theory 1969’ [4:49] The cooping theory- electoral fraud and Poe’s death [10:46] Setting a societal scene, the context for tragedy [14:22] What you walk away with [16:39] Herding fish [22:45] Make it immersive [23:52] Creating with classic works [35:47] Moving into immersive [37:40] “Critics don’t really know how to review this stuff” [39:03] The form necessitated adaptation [41:43] Those who do, and those who’d rather not [44:55] ‘Submit to the extremity of the experience’ [46:37] Non-linear narrative- no experience is a straight line [48:51] The paranormal swamp [52:10] Your satisfaction level is dependent on your participation [52:35] Relentless [54:42] Aaron on Blackout [55:07] Where can people find all of these things? [1:00:10] | |||
| We're BACK! Featuring Candle House Collective's Evan Neiden | 29 Mar 2025 | 01:05:01 | |
New Host Emma Sheridan and special cohost Scott Cramton (Founder of American Immersion Theater and The Murder Mystery Company) interview the master of the remote immersive experiences, Evan Neiden. For more information on Candle House Collective, visit their website here. Be sure to check out their newest experience, Lennox Mutual! You can follow Candle House Collective on Instagram @candlehouscollective. If you enjoy immersive theater, events or experiences you've found your new home with Immersion Nation. | |||
| #22 Privilege, Play, and Starting conversations with Risa Puno of The Privilege of Escape | 11 Oct 2019 | 00:48:22 | |
A door has opened with the rise of immersive experience. Immersive experience can be fun, and wondrous, mind bending, but it can also aid incredible empathy in a way that very few other things can. References & Selected Links: The Privilege of Escape Show Notes: Fictional world for adventures [2:43] | |||
| #21 The value of play pt. 1 | 04 Oct 2019 | 00:09:40 | |
Why is play important? What is the value of play? Well, today’s episode of the immersion Nation Podcast is a little bit different. This is the first in a series of mini episodes that we’re going to be releasing periodically in place of our normal interviews. We’ve been asking guests of the Immersion Nation podcast why play matters. There are certain concepts that are intrinsic, not just to the immersive wave, but to how we understand and interface with the world as a whole. But often the importance of play fades in our mind as we get older… •Email Nathaniel Sky, the podcast host directly with this link: https://www.immersionnation.com/contact/ Genevieve Gearhart on the podcast Show Notes: Intrinsic to how we understand the world [1:20] | |||
| # 20 The playful experience of chaos with Jessica Creane of IKantKoan | 28 Sep 2019 | 00:54:49 | |
On May 18th, 2019, Ikantkoan Games founder Jessica Creane took the TED stage, under unusual circumstances, to give a talk about chaos theory. She explained that as a game designer, she takes complex systems and turns them into “playful interactive experiences” Today, Jessica joins the show to talk about leaning into chaos in daily life, learning how to harness it, and of course how one turns a haiku into a full contact sport. -TED talk- Gamifying Chaos: Embracing Uncertainty Through Play -Know Thyself Show Notes:
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| #19 Invisible but not hidden: Wellness and the transformation economy with Melinda Lauw of Whisperlodge | 20 Sep 2019 | 00:50:44 | |
On a humid August night in williamsburg brooklyn, Melinda Lauw, cofounder of the genre creating asmr experience, Whisperlodge, took the stage at new york immersive night. Melinda explained that she thought of immersive experience as a kind of wellness practice. At that moment I was sitting in the back of the room, utterly fascinated.
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| #18 Hallowed Haunt: Inside a nationally acclaimed haunted experience: Dwayne Sanburn of The 13th Gate | 13 Sep 2019 | 00:44:14 | |
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, sitting just off the bank of the mississippi river is The 13th Gate. A repeatedly nationally acclaimed haunted house and escape room. The founder and owner -an understated multi-medium master- Dwayne Sanburn joins the podcast to discuss the experience that has repeatedly set the bar for each of his respective categories. Opening on September 27th this year, The 13 Gate is a haunted immersive experience spanning 40,000 square feet. 13 highly detailed themed areas and approximately 160 actors to enable spooky season adventure. In addition to the expansive haunt, The 13th Gate holds 7 escape rooms and a 4 player virtual reality zombie game, all of which are open year round. Selected Links:
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| #17 Mimes, Accidental Immersion, and the Power of Story: Billy Angel of Story Works | 06 Sep 2019 | 00:58:11 | |
Stories are trust. They create understanding and shared meaning. Stories are the fabric of culture so it is befitting that Billy Angel has carved his path through the world with his stories. From the Netherlands, to the UK, to the co-founding of Story Works in the United States.
The thread of self expression and the drive to enable the expression of others’ stories has given him a depth of multifaceted, and multicultural perspective. Before the modern era of immersive theater this perspective guided Billy and others on the same path to sew the seeds of the immersive revolution. Links and full show notes can be found | |||
| #16 Fluid identity, empathy, and the struggle to understand: CoAct Productions | 30 Aug 2019 | 00:43:33 | |
Identity is a complex topic under the best of circumstances. We are often defined by the invisible scripts we learned so long ago we forget we’re even reciting lines. The Severance Theory casts you in the role of someone contending with DID. Dissociative Identity Disorder, commonly known as multiple personality disorder.
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| #15 What does it mean to be human?: Ben Cox of Trailblazer Productions | 23 Aug 2019 | 00:49:30 | |
Imagine if human touch were a felony. What would that world look like? Ben Cox of Trailblazer Productions is exploring this question in his productions of TOUCH & TOUCH: INCARNATION. Ben joins the Immersion Nation Podcast for an adventure through dystopian futures, cultural change, and the presently evolving idea of human connection. Ben has used this dystopian backdrop to raise the question, ‘what does it mean to be human?’. In TOUCH, you are placed into the midst of a rebellious group, fighting the regulation of touch. They use the tagline- “We are electric”. While metaphorically appropriate this mantra also has the obvious layer of scientific legitimacy. Now, more than ever, the questions of our common humanity deserve attention. This conversation frames the idea that immersive experience is becoming an incredible tool for the exploration of these questions. Full show notes at Immersion Nation: here | |||
| #14 Carnivals, crowns, and learning the power to change: Caroline Murphy of Incantrix productions | 15 Aug 2019 | 00:47:32 | |
Any who have truly lost themselves in an immersive experience have glimpsed the potential of immersion as a whole. Caroline Murphy -co-founder of Incantrix production- discusses this potential, and the cause behind the air of wonder and openness that often follows audiences out the doors, after an immersive production. Caroline seems to have a particular propensity for looking at immersive design as both an engineering problem and a piece of social art at the same time. This ability has manifested in their productions of The Carnivale, Crown Me, and extends to inspire audiences of both immersive enthusiasts and the immersive unaware. | |||
| Mini-Episode #13.5 New and upcoming with Windy City Playhouse | 12 Aug 2019 | 00:09:19 | |
Windy City Playhouse has so much coming up, we pulled this clip out of the conversation in Episode 13 to try out a new format. | |||
| This Immersive Globe | Steve Boyle of Epic Immersive | 28 Jul 2020 | 01:02:14 | |
This week in the interview we talk with the one, the only, Steve Boyle; CEO of Epic Immersive. You can find the complete show notes and more details on the guests and experiences at this page on the Immersion Nation Website | |||
| #13 Emotional realism, being first, and the infinite learning curve: Amy Rubenstein of Windy City Playhouse | 08 Aug 2019 | 00:43:01 | |
Amy Rubenstein is in many ways the metaphorical tip of the spear within the burgeoning world of immersive theater in Chicago. As the artistic director of Windy City Playhouse, Amy explains the path to creating a bracingly lifelike visage of 1960’s Georgia in their recent show, Southern Gothic. If immersive theater can be thought of as practical magic, the show Southern Gothic, can be thought of -explicitly- as a time machine. Of an initial expected run of about 3 months, Southern Gothic was extended to more than a year of performances; marking a turning point for the immersive landscape of Chicago. Make it immersive: James Cameron’s Avatar: [19:22] Show Notes: Favorite Fictional World [2:20]
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| #12 Data Privacy and Immersive for social good: Justin Fyles of Any One Thing | 01 Aug 2019 | 00:46:55 | |
Any One Thing, can be thought of as similar to the futuristic Netflix series, ‘Black Mirror’ (excluding episode 1, for any who stopped there). Subtracting a heavy portion of darkness, ‘Any One Thing’ (or A1T) explores the edge of what could be possible with technology, today, or in the very near future. A1T, Co-founder, Justin Fyles joins Immersion Nation to discuss everything from data privacy to the relationship between mortality and digital legacy; The topic of their upcoming show. We touch on ‘Recollection’, their previous immersive theater work, along with some broader strokes around the business of immersive entertainment as a whole. Make it immersive:
Shortage, East London Show Notes: Fictional world: [4:05] What is Any One Thing?: [5:15] Using data in immersive experience: [8:00] The last show: Recollection: [9:27] How your data gets processed: [10:26] The Upcoming show: mortality and digital legacy [11:45] Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind & owning your personal memories [13:07] Designing the new show. Very site specific [14:40] The immersive business model: sustainable and fair [17:28] On Punchdrunk and Sleep No More: [18:36] Make it immersive: Redwall [21:13] Breaking reality gently [23:55] Extending the immersive world [27:00] The value of play: [29:25] Coming from the tech world + Origins [31:28] New work vs. Adapted work [38:36] The trick with the word ‘Immersive’ [42:08] Where is Any One Thing [44:30] More On Immersive entertainment at Immersion Nation | |||
| # 11 Game VS. Story, A love tale: Haley and Cameron Cooper of Strange Bird Immersive. | 25 Jul 2019 | 00:55:59 | |
It’s rare that you find an actor in an escape room. It’s even more rare to discover that the actor doesn’t detract from you an experience, but helps create it. Cameron and Haley, are masters of this very thing. Madame Daphne guides you through a seance in attempt to contact the ghost of Harry Houdini. In the Episode: We discuss what makes an escape room shine, how immersion gives you a space to practice your emotions, and how Immersive entertainment opens the door to creativity to any with an idea, and a drive to create. Truly, the frame in which we view the world of entertainment is changing. The way in which we interact with one another could be shifted and reshaped, as we learn how to see each other and the world around us with new eyes. Make it immersive: Selected links: Strange Bird Immersive Strange Bird on: Show Notes: Introduction & context [1:19] Favorite fictional world [2:20] An inspiring and beautiful game [5:13] When escape rooms shine[7:49] What is strange bird? [9:29] Why is Strange Bird so unique? [11:09] Directing the attention of an audience [15:18] Escape Room VS. Storyline [17:19] What is the ‘Why’ behind ‘The Man From Beyond’? [18:19] How Strange bird creates immersion [22:10] Make it immersive [22:19] Setting the stage [31:15] The coopers on the value of Play [34:05] Why you should be dancing around a fire [40:35] Where did the name “Strange Bird” come from? [42:20] Where’s walter?? [46:19] Explaining immersion [48:55] Strange Bird’s here and now [51:23] | |||
| #10 VR, AI, and the edge of immersive media: Pete Billington of Fable Studio | 18 Jul 2019 | 00:57:16 | |
“I’m absolutely convinced that the best way to learn is through play” Our guest, Pete Billington, is the Co-founder of Fable studios, a masterful storyteller, and a rare variety of systems thinker. He pulls from the well of his personal experience having worked on a wide range of projects including Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, The Matrix: Reloaded, and The Polar Express to inform the creation of Fable Studios. Make it immersive: Dungeons and Dragons [28:20] Selected links: Virtual Beings summit The Uncanny/ Inconsistent Valley “The future has arrived- It’s just not...”
Guest introduction [1:18] Favorite fictional world [2:54] Pete’s favorite character class and why [4:01] What is the major dramatic question? / What is wolves in the walls? [4:55] VR as a medium [8:00] Immersive Theater as a bridge for Fable [10:30] Keeping an audience on the ‘Golden Path: principles for directing attention [13:05] Uncanny valley vs. Inconsistent valley [16:21] The edges of technology: Creating with constraints [19:59] How has pete’s personal communication changed? [23:20] Deprogramming the storyteller brain [24:15] Make it immersive [28:20] Understanding your audience [29:20] Teaching an AI to read you [30:55] Trying on personalities [34:37] The Value of Play & the future of VR [36:16] Characters as an interface [38:54] Why it’s easy to ignore Alexa & Siri [40:16] The future is here, just not easily distributed [41:19] Co-founder, Edward Saatchi, The provocateur [43:14] Memory is the difference & Upload yourself to th | |||
| #9 building curiosity: Inside a world class escape room- Allie Jorde & Eliza’bot’ Sonder of Palace Games | 11 Jul 2019 | 00:48:51 | |
Palace games has been deemed the best escape room in the country. Based in the immersive tech capital, San Francisco they push to blur the lines between reality and fiction in their brilliantly engineered rooms. Adding to the environment, they are actually built into the San Fran palace of fine arts.
Allie: Jumanji Elizabeth: Philip K dickieon / blade runner Selected links: New Jumanji vs. Old Jumanji Do androids dream of electric sheep? Still life with woodpecker (correction: tom robbins) Pan Pacific international exposition Show Notes: Introductions [1:38] Fictional worlds for livin in [2:12] Why is Palace games special? [5:05] The why behind palace games [8:23] Inspiring makers & getting girls and women into science [9:00] Immersive jobs are the best! [10:27] Value of play [12:00] Picking locks in strangers houses [13:59] Challenge your thinking and kids in escape rooms [15:23] Make it immersive!! [16:42] The building process & the 4th room [17:19] Inspiration for the new room [18:35] Blade Runner world [22:00] Jumanji [25:02] Escape room lingo: funnel [26:36] Excited for VR in escape rooms [37:00] Escape to play, play to escape [40:30] Context for experience [41:52] Opening the new room [45:40] | |||
| #8 You are seen, you are essential: Relearning play with -The Speakeasy Society’s artistic directors | 03 Jul 2019 | 01:09:29 | |
For 7 years Artistic Directors Genevieve Gearhart, Julianne Just, and Matthew Bamberg-Johnson of the Speakeasy society have shown LA’s immersive community the evolution of an artform. With more experience than most working in the LA area, they have a unique understanding of the word ‘play’ and why it’s so important to their work. Make it immersive: The Magicians [15:00] Selected links: Speakeasy society
Introductions & Favorite worlds? [1:55] What kind of experience are you trying to give your audience? [7:57] Setting the stage & onboarding [12:56] Value of play: -Genevieve Gearhart [17:28] -Matthew Bamberg-Johnson [19:23] -Julianne Just [21:40] Art and personal reflection [24:25] Veterans healing through immersion [25:05] Make it immersive: The magicians [28:10] Starting with the test & a secret entrance [30:25] No two experiences alike [33:35] Rationing resources with a group [38:50] What do you tell the uninitiated about immersion [40:30] You have importance, you are seen.. [40:50] Should you surprise a friend with immersion? [43:40] Immersion on the horizon: Thoughts on star wars, VR, and collaboration [45:50] LA Immersive Supergroup [51:11] GET IMMERSED: A billboard [54:20] A collaboration with Two Bit Circus: ‘Under the Big Top’ [1:03:18] The means, team, and times of Speakeasy Society [1:05:27] | |||
| #7 Candles, memory, and the value of new perspective -Christoff Visscher | 27 Jun 2019 | 00:52:41 | |
Description: Make it immersive: Selected Links:
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| #6 Opting out, consent, and the Immersive revolution -Spencer Williams | 20 Jun 2019 | 00:57:08 | |
Description: Spencer Williams has followed a common thread. From documentary, to haunted corn mazes, to boutique immersive experiences for only 1 to 3 guests. The desire to watch a story, a world, a new perspective unfold brought him to the front edge of immersive entertainment. landscape and decided to stay. Make it immersive: Creating magic realism: [2:15] Selected Links from episode:
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| #5 Magic realism, one-on-ones, and the shape of change -Spencer Williams | 12 Jun 2019 | 00:45:09 | |
Spencer Williams has followed a common thread. From documentary, to haunted corn mazes, to boutique immersive experiences for only 1 to 3 guests. The desire to watch a story, a world, a new perspective unfold brought him to the front edge of immersive entertainment. Selected Links from episode:
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| #4 Police helicopters, rigid narratives, and the barrier to entry -Lauren Ludwig and Monica Miklas | 06 Jun 2019 | 00:35:27 | |
Monica Miklas and Lauren Ludwig travel through the fringe, to the front lines of immersive entertainment. Encountering overzealous onlookers, confused law enforcement, and a lifelong frustration with the 4th wall; they solve the problems that come with being on the front edge of a new wave. Based in LA, they are the skilled weavers of wonder that co-founded Capital W Known for their shows: Red Flags, Rochester, 1996, and Hamlet Mobile. They have both spoken and taught at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, produced shows in Denver, and sustained a continuing run of the infinitely fascinating ‘Red Flags’ since 2017.
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More Episodes: ImmersionNation.com/podcast or your favorite podcast platform | |||
| RECON & the Room Escape Artists | David and Lisa Spira | 22 Jul 2020 | 01:02:13 | |
This week in the interview, we talk with David and Lisa Sipra; the co-founders of Room Escape Artist, the most prolific publication covering escape rooms and the escape room industry. | |||
| #3 Surplus reality, cultural communication, and the ancient roots of immersion -Marcia Angel | 30 May 2019 | 00:53:51 | |
Marcia Angel, Cofounder of Story Works, has been working in both drama and psychology for more than 3 decades. Her staple event, Playback Improv, is one of the oldest most personally impactful vehicles for immersive experience. Originating in Nepal, playback mirrors the stories of the audience through improv actors. In the midst of this performance, a truly unique social space is created. Make it immersive: Selected links from episode:
Show Notes: Lion King, Julie Tamar, and animals as people [1:49] Her path to immersion [4:04] What is playback? [6:05] No such thing as fictional stories [8:57] Immersive theatre: history, community, and cultural context[12:04] Make it immersive: Lion king [18:13] Auditory/sonic mirroring [24:43] Space, volume, and noticing cultural differences [28:06] Playback improv with kids [36:27] Filming Immersives experiences [37:24] Vulnerability in a participatory audience [41:18] Surplus Reality and (not so)rapid fire questions [43:22] Surplus reality & Marica’s daughter [45:34] | |||
| #2 VR baptism, improv endings, and the state of play -Ian Mckneely & Austen Anderson | 24 May 2019 | 00:47:00 | |
Ian McNeely & Austen Anderson are the shakespearean trained, co-founders of Broken Ghost immersives. Deploying a seemingly infinite supply of creativity, they create experiences that cater to any type of player. They have created The Bunker, and Rogue’s Gallery, and formerly the wake. Multi-layered doesn’t begin to cover the degree of engagement that Ian and Austen create in their shmorgishborg of immersive optionality. Their love of game format pairs particularly well with their acting skills. The product of this is a format of immersion that has exists at the rare intersection between personalized narrative and environment interaction. Selected links from episode:
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| #1 Rebellious acting, Wonka marketing, and 'Wolverine' on broadway -Scott Cramton | 23 May 2019 | 00:48:42 | |
Scott Cramton is the founder of American Immersion Theater with over 1,000 immersive shows under his belt. Over the course of 15 years Scott has developed and refined socially immersive experiences. Scott was born with a cleft palate and -naturally- chose to act professionally. Often, one’s greatest weakness has potential to become their greatest strength. Scott’s path led him to creating an audacious and counterintuitive way of encouraging others to communicate and connect through acting. Scott’s -and American Immersion Theater’s- staple is the LARP-esque murder mystery dinner. Though, they also perform princess parties, superhero parties, feigned fame stunts, and a myriad of other events that defy a consistent label referred to as atmospheric entertainment.
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| Crafting Immersive Performance | Amber Lawson and Erik Abbot-Main | 15 Jul 2020 | 00:59:59 | |
This week in the interview, we talk with two seasoned immersive performers, Amber Lawson, and Erik Abbot-Main. One who’s principle experience comes from immersive dance in New York City, and the other from interactive acting in Los Angeles. Their professional backgrounds couldn’t be more different, which makes the similarities in their tactics and strategies as immersive performers even more striking. | |||